


you're never alone

by is_this_reality



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drinking to Cope, Drunk Keith (Voltron), Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, I Made Myself Cry, Keith (Voltron) Angst, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, M/M, MY POOR CHILD, My First AO3 Post, Poor Keith, Sad Keith (Voltron), Space Dad Shiro (Voltron), Underage Drinking, im sad now, is that enough tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-06-03 03:22:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19455298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/is_this_reality/pseuds/is_this_reality
Summary: “Don’t leave me, Shiro. Don’t leave me alone. I’m always alone.”Shiro’s heart began to break. He felt awful. He hadn’t even realized Keith had been going through all this for years… He’d been too hard on Keith. All those years… He hadn’t even known anything was wrong. He still wouldn’t if Keith hadn’t texted him.“You’re never alone, Keith. I’m here for you. No matter what.”





	you're never alone

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this after watching the episode where Lance and Allura went on a date and I was sad klance was sinking and allurance was sailing and I needed some Keith angst.
> 
> so um. I started writing a klance fic. and then it became sheith. and now I'm not sure what it is exactly. but I spent like six hours writing it so I couldn't not post it. please excuse this shippy mess. and thank you for reading my first fic on AO3!

Shiro lay awake in bed. He couldn’t sleep. His brain wouldn’t turn off. It was becoming a more common occurrence every day and he was tired of it. But apparently his brain wasn’t tired enough to sleep.

His phone, charging on the nightstand next to him buzzed. Shiro eyed it for a second, then decided he wasn’t going to get any sleep regardless. He picked it up and squinted at the too-bright screen. The time, almost three am, flashed at the top of the screen and a text was below it.

**Keith:** can you comr over

Shiro was surprised at his misspelling, since Keith was usually annoyingly perfect at spelling. But it was late, he was probably tired. At least he wasn’t the only one with insomnia.

**Shiro:** Sure, on my way.

He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and fumbled with the lamp until it clicked on, lighting up the room. He grabbed a t shirt from a drawer and pulled it on, took a sip of water from a glass on his table, and clicked the light off again.

Keith’s room was only two doors down, so it only took him a few seconds to get there. He knocked on the door. There was only a muffled response, but it was clearly Keith’s voice so Shiro assumed it was probably something like come in. He opened the door and entered.

Keith was curled up in a ball on his bed in the corner of the room, hugging Lance’s jacket and nursing a bottle of liquor. Lance’s Instagram was pulled up on the laptop sitting next to him. It was clear he’d been crying.

“Shiro?” Keith said, looking up at him.

“Oh Keith…” Shiro said, rushing toward him. He climbed onto the bed next to Keith and put his arm around Keith’s shoulders. Keith just burst out crying again, burying his face in Shiro’s chest. Shiro wrapped his arms around him. Keith sobbed, making a wet spot on Shiro’s shoulder.

Shiro wrapped his arms around Keith and stroked his black hair. He smelled strongly of vodka. Shiro hugged him anyway.

“Shhh… It’s gonna be okay, it’s gonna be okay…” he whispered, trying to calm the bawling mess that was somehow Keith. He’d never seen Keith like this before.

“What’s wrong?” Shiro asked when Keith finally stopped bawling. Keith peeked his head out from Shiro’s chest to look at him. 

“Lance,” Keith said plainly, as if it answered everything.

“…Lance?” Shiro said. “What about Lance? What happened?”

“Shiro, you’re so stupid sometimes,” Keith slurred.

At any other time, Shiro would have scolded him. It wasn’t like Keith was being obvious or anything. Shiro couldn’t read minds.

“I know,” Shiro said instead. A tiny smile appeared on Keith’s face, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come. “Explain it to me then.”

Keith sniffed, looking like he was about to cry again. Shiro frowned, worrying. But Keith just squinted his eyes, took a swig from the bottle, and sighed.

“Lance is in love with Allura,” he said, clearly trying not to cry. 

Shiro frowned again. “No, he’s not? That’s the first I’ve heard of it.”

Keith laughed sadly. “Well, you’re dense Shiro.”

Shiro sighed. “Are you sure you’re not reading into it too much?”

“Yes. They went on their first date tonight…” He sniffled. “Sorry Shiro. I- I thought about asking someone else, but they don’t know me like you do.”

That was quite a compliment, especially coming from Keith. Shiro was taken aback, but he tried not to show it.

“You don’t need to apologize for anything. So… you like Lance then?” Shiro couldn’t say he wasn’t surprised by that one. He thought Keith and Lance hated each other.

Keith’s eyes lit up. “He’s beautiful, isn’t he? His messy hair, his shining eyes, his spectacular abs…”

Shiro looked confused. “Lance has abs?”

Keith rolled his eyes. “Don’t get jealous Shiro, they’re not better than yours.”

“Woah woah woah, I never said- “

“I know. But Lance… he’s so friendly and kind, brave and stupid… Of course Allura wants him. And I thought because he was never serious with girls maybe they were just for show. Maybe he was gay. I had to hope. But I see now he was just waiting for the right one. He was waiting for her.”

“Keith, I don’t think- “

“Shh, I’m going to tell you a story,” said Keith, putting a finger to Shiro’s lips. He took a sip from the bottle, then begun.

“You know the beginning. There was a little orphan… or at least he thought he was an orphan at the time, his parents were gone… anyway, his name was Keith. He was kind of awful at everything except flying, getting in trouble, and as he would learn later, falling for straight boys. But he showed a man named Shiro how good he was a flying, and Shiro decided he would be able to go to the Galaxy Garrison. Shiro gave him a second chance, and that meant so much to Keith, and he could never repay Shiro.”

Shiro was flattered. He hadn’t really realized how much he meant to Keith, and how much Keith meant to him.

“Keith saw a lot of cute boys at the Garrison, and began to realize he was kinda gay. Actually, very gay. But the cutest was Lance McClain. Lance was an idiot. He was so annoying and stupid and hopelessly adorable Keith could barely stay away from him. But Lance was crushing on a new girl every week, and Keith knew he didn’t have a chance with him. So Keith tried burying his feelings. That didn’t work, he just felt awful. He tried flirting with Lance. Unfortunately he always chickened out right before he was going to approach Lance. Finally, he resorted to admiring Lance from a distance. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but Keith knew he just had to deal with it. Hopefully his stupid crush would disappear soon.

“Well, it didn’t. But then he was expelled from the Garrison, and began focusing on other, more important matters. Like finding the blue lion. Then, by some crazy coincidence, he found Lance again. They blasted off into space and started fighting purple aliens. A lot of crazy shit happened, but Lance was always there. And Keith couldn’t admire Lance from a distance anymore; they were too close. He was forced to start burying his feelings again.

“It hurt. So bad. But he did it well. They were so deep, at times they were almost gone. But they were always somewhere, and sometimes… they showed themselves…” Keith trailed off, sniffed, then started crying quietly. Shiro wasn’t quite sure what to say.

“Then Lance fell in love with Allura. Keith’s world fell apart, and he didn’t know what to do anymore…” Keith finished, taking another swig from the bottle. Shiro attempted to take the bottle away but Keith hugged it close.

“No… I don’t know what to do anymore…” Keith said, crying and hiccupping. Shiro held him and stroked his head.

“Keith…” Shiro began, but the word caught in his throat. He wasn’t sure what to say. Keith looked up at him, big, sad eyes still overflowing with tears.

“Shiro, I know you don’t,” he hiccupped “know what to say. You don’t have to say anything. There’s no answer to this, and there’s nothing you can say that will make me feel better. I wouldn’t trust your relationship advice anyway…”

Shiro wasn’t sure if he should be offended, but this wasn’t the time for that.

“Just be here, okay?” Keith said quietly.

“Of course,” Shiro replied, gently shutting the laptop.

Keith cried, and Shiro held him.

Shiro wasn’t sure how much time passed, but eventually, despite what Keith had said, he spoke.

“I know you don’t really trust me on matters like this. But believe me, I’ve been there too. Unrequited love.”

“Un” –hiccup- “requited?” Keith asked.

He realized how drunk Keith was. “When someone doesn’t love you back. I know how it hurts. But it happens to everyone sometime, and we all get through it.”

“I- b-but I can’t! I can’t get over him!” Keith said, bursting out crying again and leaning against Shiro.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Shiro said, until Keith’s crying slowed. “I know it looks tough now. No one can say how long it will hurt. But nothing lasts forever.”

Keith sniffled, crying quietly. “But what about now? What am I supposed to do?”

“For now, this is not the answer,” he replied, taking the bottle from Keith. “Go to sleep, you’ll feel better in the morning.”

“Nooo! Shiro, no!” Keith said, reaching for the bottle as Shiro climbed out of the bed. “I’ll feel worse in the morning, it’ll all be real.”

“Get some sleep, Keith. You’ll be glad later,” Shiro said, leaving the room and turning off the light.

“Shiro?” Keith called out through the darkness as Shiro was about to leave.

“Don’t leave me, Shiro. Don’t leave me alone. I’m always alone.”

Shiro’s heart began to break. He felt awful. He hadn’t even realized Keith had been going through all this for years… He’d been too hard on Keith. All those years… He hadn’t even known anything was wrong. He still wouldn’t if Keith hadn’t texted him. 

“You’re never alone, Keith. I’m here for you. No matter what.”

Shiro couldn’t see, but somehow in the darkness he knew Keith was smiling through the tears.

He turned the light back on and walked back into the room, closing the door behind him. He set the bottle on a table. Keith slid off the bed, trying to get it but wobbled. Shiro rushed to his side and grabbed his hands, guiding him back to the bed.

Shiro sat down next to him, then Keith leaned over and kissed him.

Keith’s lips were soft and warm and wonderful. He tasted like vodka but Shiro didn’t care. This was wonderful. It was soft and perfect and beautiful. Suddenly he was wondering why he’d never considered this before.

…because Keith didn’t like him.

Shiro forced himself to break away. He really didn’t want to.

“Shiro?” Keith said, questioningly, looking up at him with pretty dark eyes.

“You’re drunk,” Shiro gasped, eyes still closed. His cheeks were hot.

“Yeah…” Keith said, sounding ashamed.

“And you wouldn’t have done that if you were sober.”

“Yes I would have,” Keith replied, persistent.

“No, you- Well, I guess it’s true I don’t know you as well as I thought I did. And I want to know you, don’t get me wrong. But I can’t take advantage of you like this. Anyway, you need to sort through your feelings for Lance before you start something with anyone else.”

“So… you like me back?”

“No! That’s not what I said at all!” Shiro said. Keith’s face fell, and Shiro immediately regretted what he’d just said.

“I mean, I do. I love you platonically. And I liked… that... kiss,” he said, the last word coming out awkwardly. “But I don’t know. It’s late, I’m tired, and confused, you’re drunk, heartbroken, and you’ve been crushing on Lance for years. It’s a mess, and if we try to sort it out tonight, we’ll just be more confused in the morning.”

Keith was crying again. He was hardly ever not crying tonight.

“Look,” Shiro said, tilting up Keith’s chin so they were looking eye to eye. “We’re a mess,” he said laughing, and Keith smiled. For real this time.

It was true.

“You like Lance, right?” Shiro said.

Keith nodded.

“Then you need to figure that out before we can be something.”

“I don’t know how to figure it out. I’m not sure I want to figure it out, I just need you right now. Please?”

Shiro sighed, running his hands through Keith’s mullet. His eyes accidently landed on Keith’s lips.

They were so tempting.

“How about this… sleep off the vodka, and we’ll see what we both think in the morning.”

“I want you now.”

“So do I. But sometimes… sometimes we have to think carefully about what we want. It’s not always what we think when we’re drunk and tired.”

Keith sighed. “Fine.”

Shiro helped Keith pull off his jacket and gloves, then pulled back the covers for Keith to get in. Then he kissed Keith on the forehead, grabbed a pillow from Keith's bed, and lay down on the floor. 

Emotionally exhausted, Shiro fell asleep in an instant.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! Thank you for reading!!! I have a very short second part for this fic, but it was kinda bad. Like I kinda feel like this got worse the longer I kept writing it lol oof. But um. Comment if you want to see a bad thing that kinda wraps this up? Or if you're just happy with the ambiguity? 
> 
> And please leave some constructive criticism if you have a moment! Thanks again!!! <3


End file.
